Oct. 11 -- New Mexico Highlands University's Ivan Hilton Science and Technology Building will remain closed to students through the end of the semester, following incident last month in which a hazardous chemical was released in the building.
In an email to staff and students earlier this week, university President Neil Woolf said the incident "has been contained and is being mitigated," but classes originally scheduled to be held in the building will move online or to other spaces on campus.
"This decision wasn't made lightly, and I feel for our students and faculty who've had their courses displaced and their instruction interrupted," Woolf wrote. "It's simply a matter of taking every measure at our disposal to ensure the safety of our community."
The announcement comes amid an ongoing investigation into chemical storage and handling at the Las Vegas, N.M., university after the Sept. 14 death of custodian Martin Lujan, 54.
Whether Lujan's death is related to chemical exposure while working in the science building remains unknown. His cause of death will be determined by the state Office of the Medical Investigator, which is conducting an autopsy and toxicology tests.
Since news of Lujan's death broke, "Everything is just ongoing," Andrea Crespin, president of the clerical and facilities staff wing of Highlands' Faculty and Staff Association, said in a recent interview.
Complaints about chemical spills and ventilation issues first arose in August, according to reports to the New Mexico Environment Department's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.
The reports, obtained through a public records request. detail spilled and unlabeled chemicals, strong odors and inadequate ventilation, some of which resulted in illness.
The issue came to a head Sept. 3, when a "minor release" occurred of less than 100 grams of dimethylamine hydrochloride, Capt. Daniel Atencio of the Las Vegas Fire Department wrote in a Monday memo to Highlands administrators. The chemical is a hazardous compound categorized by the National Library of Medicine as an irritant that can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
The building was evacuated, the spill contained and neutralized, and the decontamination process initiated, Atencio said.
In the month since the building's initial closure, Woolf told students and staff in a campuswide email Wednesday, the "entire building" has been inspected for "unlabeled or waste chemicals." The work to properly dispose of remaining chemicals, which will be undertaken by "multiple third-party vendors," is ongoing, he added.
Some good news: Trace levels of radiation found in the building do not pose a risk to staff or students, Drew Goretzka, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Environment Department, wrote in an email to The New Mexican.
"While trace amounts of radioactivity were detected in some areas of the Ivan Hilton Science Building by NMED inspectors, they were well below levels that would be considered unsafe to students, employees, and the public," Goretzka wrote.
He added the trace amounts of radioactivity stemmed from thorium -- a naturally occurring radioactive metal -- that had been properly packaged for disposal and rocks from the university's geology department emitting background radiation.
The incident has spurred Highlands to update its safety protocol.
In an all-campus message Sept. 30, Woolf announced the convening of a Hazardous Materials Protocols Workgroup to reexamine the university's chemical handling policy.
Atencio noted in his memo Monday "rigorous safety protocols" -- including regular inspections, emergency drills and training for staff, faculty and students -- are in the works to reduce the chance of future hazardous materials incidents.
"NMHU will not be allowed to reopen the Ivan Hilton Science and Technology Building until we are compliant with all applicable standards and requirements," Woolf wrote in his message Wednesday.